For years, wildfire season was largely viewed as a threat to homes, forests and utility infrastructure in the American West. But as smoke from fires blankets large swaths of the country, it is becoming something else too: a power-sector challenge.
That's because the U.S. grid is changing. Solar generation is now the country's fastest-growing electricity source, transmission networks need to move more power over longer distances, and grid operators need accurate weather forecasts to balance supply and demand.
